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By E Charles Vivian
There are a collection of stories of the Scots regiments in WWI detailing some of their exploits.
If one should ask any man, of any regiment of the British Army, what was the quality of the regiment to which he belonged, the answer would be to the effect that his was the best regiment in the service, without any exception. If any other answer should be returned to such a query, it might be assumed that there was something wrong with that particular man ; he ought not to be a soldier, for every soldier worthy of the name firmly believes that his regiment is the best.
The Scottish regiments are not exempt from this belief, and surely, judging by their regimental histories, they have good cause. Certain peculiar honours are theirs, too : they form the only kilted force of regular troops in the world, for one thing ; and for another thing the oldest regiment of the British Army is Scottish—for the Royal Scots, with definite history dating back to 1625, lay claim to direct descent from the Scottish archers who were kept for centuries as guards for French kings. Putting legend and tradition aside, it is certain and beyond dispute that John Hepburn led the Royal Scots under Gustavus Adolphus, the great Swedish champion of liberty, as early as 1625; and in 1633, with eight years of hard work on Continental battlefields to season their ranks, the Royal Scots were definitely and officially included in the British Army, seeing service under Marlborough at Blenheim, Ramillies, Malplaquet, and Oudenarde. There is a story of Blenheim to the effect that the Commander-in-chief of the French Army, taken prisoner by Marlborough, congratulated the latter on having overcome “the best troops in the world.” The Duke caustically requested him to “Except those troops by whom you have been conquered.”Prominent among these were the Royal Scots.
You can read this book at http://www.electricscotland.com/history/scotreg/front/index.htm
Alastair
There are a collection of stories of the Scots regiments in WWI detailing some of their exploits.
If one should ask any man, of any regiment of the British Army, what was the quality of the regiment to which he belonged, the answer would be to the effect that his was the best regiment in the service, without any exception. If any other answer should be returned to such a query, it might be assumed that there was something wrong with that particular man ; he ought not to be a soldier, for every soldier worthy of the name firmly believes that his regiment is the best.
The Scottish regiments are not exempt from this belief, and surely, judging by their regimental histories, they have good cause. Certain peculiar honours are theirs, too : they form the only kilted force of regular troops in the world, for one thing ; and for another thing the oldest regiment of the British Army is Scottish—for the Royal Scots, with definite history dating back to 1625, lay claim to direct descent from the Scottish archers who were kept for centuries as guards for French kings. Putting legend and tradition aside, it is certain and beyond dispute that John Hepburn led the Royal Scots under Gustavus Adolphus, the great Swedish champion of liberty, as early as 1625; and in 1633, with eight years of hard work on Continental battlefields to season their ranks, the Royal Scots were definitely and officially included in the British Army, seeing service under Marlborough at Blenheim, Ramillies, Malplaquet, and Oudenarde. There is a story of Blenheim to the effect that the Commander-in-chief of the French Army, taken prisoner by Marlborough, congratulated the latter on having overcome “the best troops in the world.” The Duke caustically requested him to “Except those troops by whom you have been conquered.”Prominent among these were the Royal Scots.
You can read this book at http://www.electricscotland.com/history/scotreg/front/index.htm
Alastair